In Iowa TikTok is Already Banned for Thousands of People

TikTok has become a lightning rod for controversy, largely because its parent company, ByteDance, is based in China, which has increased privacy and security concerns. Recently, with strong bipartisan support, the call for a full TikTok ban in the U.S. was passed by a 352-65 Congressional vote, with every Iowa representative voting in favor of the ban. The issue now moves to the US Senate.

While that continues to draw mixed reactions from Americans, here in Iowa, TikTok has been "banned" for many for well over a year now.

Iowans who are "banned" from using TikTok

In December 2022, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced the social media platform was prohibited on all Iowa state-owned devices. In other words, State of Iowa employees may not have TikTok on their devices. There were roughly 67,000 employees who worked for the State of Iowa, as of 2023.

The governor was not alone in saying no more to TikTok on state-owned devices. In 2022, Iowa joined Maryland, South Carolina, neighboring South Dakota, Texas, and Alabama in banning the app. Other states have since joined.

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A taste of what's to come?

While many states now prohibit employees from using TikTok on government-owned work devices, will there be a full ban on TikTok in the United States? That hinges on the Senate vote and Presidential approval. If passed, ByteDance will have 180 days to act.

In her ban in 2022, the governor cited the increased risk of cybersecurity due to the app's Chinese ownership. There is no word on whether the sale of the platform could result in Iowa government employees being allowed to use the app again on state-owned devices.

If you use any social media platform, there's no doubt you've seen people posting videos and photos of their food. But, have you seen any that celebrate the highest-rated eastern Iowa eateries? Check 'em out!